Gout Pal Interactive

Purines are a type of protein that are formed in the body as part of cell regeneration.

As simply as I can, cells in the body are constantly forming, growing and dying. The body has fascinating systems to re-use the components of dead cells. Part of this is DNA, which breaks down to purines, then to uric acid.

Some people produce too much uric acid (usually from obesity or trauma from surgery, exertion, stress etc.). Some people have kidney problems that restrict the body's ability to get rid of uric acid.

There is some evidence to show that diets high in purines can also increase the purine levels in the body. Such an effect is minimal, but can be enough to promote a gout attack.

As you can see, many things can increase uric acid that can trigger a gout attack. The attack can range in severity from numbness and slight swelling to severe swelling and acute pain. The attack happens because high uric acid levels cause crystalls to form. The immune system sees these as invaders (like a virus) and attacks them. The crystals cannot be killed, but they can be masked by white blood cells that form a coating. All this activity usually causes swelling and pain.

Surprisingly, lowering uric acid levels can also cause swelling, and possibly pain. This happens when the white blood cell coating that I mentioned above is lost, and the immune system ”sees” the uric acid crystal again.

It is always difficult to know if the swelling is caused by raising or lowering uric acid, or some kind of activity that causes old uric acid crystals to be exposed. Obviously, the longer you have had gout, the more crystals will have built up, so quite moderate exercise can trigger an attack. The hands and feet are prime targets because of the large number of joints.

The best thing I have found to reduce these attacks is to drink plenty of water. Sometimes I have to resort to anti-inflammatories .